Method and apparatus for producing lateral-provided fittings



A ril 15, 1941. E. s. CORNELL, JR 2,233,212 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR rizonucme LATERAL-PROVIDED FITTINGS Filed Jan. 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'April 15, 1941.

E. "s. CORNELL, JR

MEIHOD AND HPARATUS FOR PRODUCING LATERAL-PROVIDED FITTINGS Filed Jan. 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 He I40 INVENTOR Edward S. cm L BY 2 ms A ORNEY erratic Jiliililllli ilil'ililll ll lhe invention is directed to the production of invention is particular utility for the production oi and other lateral-provided rlt tlnu'e hp the cold oi i aterial oi the nature oi" copper, which is deilucd as including iallp pure, i. e., t il% ahove, copper or to in. advance oi operation pursuant to the tion elves rise the ii'orniation oi cuprous or other oirid or other deleterious condition.

Fill

" uant to the instant invention, a shell, i. c... hlanlr. havin t a closed end. in. the o supplied heat. suitahlr positioned in provided lit-tine desired to he produced. in the in ice oi a :iornied l'rorn such shell, the shell rnap he positioned Within the lateral, i. e. neclr nieinher. aperture oi the die, a suitahle pressure eater-tinerhediurn such as oil, water, plastic or the lilre heine? placed Within the shell, and suitahle means such apress having or connected to a auitahlr shouldered plunger serving as a nitric die arranged to engage the material of the shell and suhiect the same to suitable niechann cal pressure simultaneously with pressure internally oi the shell engendered in the pressure enertlne; inediuin, vvherehv the material of the shell at and adjacent its closed end is caused to ilott' into and along the face'ol the remaining apertures oi the die, thereby forming the desired or other lateral-provided hitting. Such pressure Within the pressure-exerting medium may he engendered hr the male die contacting such medium, or lay piped connection with a suitable source oil such medium under pressure.

lit is desirable to support the material of the shell. vvhere unprotected hr the laces of the die, aeainst deformation either externally and/or intcr'nallr. For internal support, I prefer suitable means oi ririd material havinc an outer contour closely approximating the contour of the inner wall oi the shell, suchrieid ineans lacing apertured to provide paths of how of the pressure hoediiun therethrough. lvlost advantageously, such aperturcd ricid means is located within the shell at or vvithin the juncture of the die loranch apertures. the apertures through said rigid hieana catendine to the material of the shell in directions towardthe hollow interiors oi" the die hranch apertures.

it is also advantageous to employ stop lugs to the coniletuution oi the '"i" or other lateral lid "for limiting the extent oi how into a die aper ture oi the material of the shell. Such stop pines, roost desirably, are provided with suitable iacial configuration at their effective laces tor inipartlne," suitable contour at the termini oi the ilovretl metal. for tacilitatina suitable severing thereat, minimising Waste oi metal severed, and the litre.-

in certain. instances oi carrying out the pres-- ent invention, the shouldered plunger may have a nose prolectinu' into and engaging the inner laces oi the shell, therehr servine to support the material at the shell against inward tlefflllllh tion. In certain instances oi employment oi the presentlnvention, such elongated nose for the plunger may he hollow to provide :ior suhlcient volume or the pressure medium to effect the desired extent oi ilovr oi" the rnaterial oi the shell into the hrancl'i apertures oi the die.

it it is desired to provide a relativelylarge area oi" contact hetwcen theapertured rigid element and the inner trail of the shell, the volume oi the hollow interior of the plunger is correspondinalp increased.

ll urther ieatihes and objects of the invention vvili he more tulip understood lroin the following detail description and the accompanying draw" inns in which:

the. l. is a central sectional elevation 'oi a 'i, typical oi a laterahprovicled fitting producilole pursuant to the present invention. I

h'iu. 2 is a central sectional elevation of a shell from which the '"i" shown in Fig. 1 may he produced.

l ir. ii is a central sectional elevation; Fig. t is a sectional elevation on line ll of Fig. 3, illustratlnu one method and suitable ll'lSllllllllGHlLEtlL- ties therelor for carrying out one form-oi the invention. Figs. 5i and i show such method at a preliininarpstage thereof; and Fig. 5 is a cen tral sectional elevation corresponding to Fig. 3, but showing a subsequent or final stage of the method.

the. t is a central sectional elevation of the product derived from my method such as pursuant to l ies. 3, i and 5. In Fig. 6 the righthand and left-hand terminal portions oi the material of the product are shown severed.

Fig". "l illustrates in. central sectional elevation a method of belling and providing abutment stops for one or more openings oi the product shown in Fig". 6. A

out the invention; the 'parts here illustrated represent an initial stage of the operation.

Fig. 9 illustrates a subsequent or final stage of the operation initiated in Fig. 8.

Fig. is a central sectional elevation taken on line I'll-I0 of Fig. 9.

Referring to Figs. 2 through 5, of the drawings, an unheated, suitable shell of material of the nature of copper, above defined, such as the shell Ill having an open end Illa and closed end Illb. as illustrated in Fig. 2, is positioned in a suitable die II, the lateral aperture of which is indicated at Ila and branch apertures are indicated at I lb and I I0. For the formation of a T, such shell I0 is advantageously positioned in the lateral aperture Ilaof the die II, the closed end Iflb of the shell resting on a die face at the juncture of the die apertures. A shouldered plunger is indicated at I2, its shoulder at l2a, and having a relatively short nose, see I2b.

In the procedure illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the shell I0 is of a length exceeding the length of the lateral aperture Ila of the die, and the nose I2b is of relatively short length, and accordingly it is advantageous to employ a ring I3 of rigid material, having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the material of the shell.

As appears from Figs. 3, 4, and 5, suitable mandrel means, indicated at l l, may be employed for precluding deformation of the material of the shell at the location at and adjacent the juncture of the lateral aperture I la with the branch aperture Mb, I I0 of the die; an advantageous type of such deformation preventing means I l, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, is in the form of a hollow shell, the outer periphery of which closely proximates the inner periphery of the shell I0, having suitable apertures to provide a longitudinally extending passage Ida and therewith communicating transverse outlets Idb, Itc, the latter respectively extending toward and preferably in substantial alignment with the axis of the branch apertures I Ib and I I0 of the die.

Advantageously, plugs I6, I6 are employed at the termini of the branch apertures llb, Ilc of the die. The plugs and shanks thereof approximate but not closely the peripheries of the adjacent faces of the die, to afford channels of flow for air therethrough, incident to the fiow of the metal into the branch apertures IIb, Ilc, which is now more particularly described.

Upon the stroke of the plunger I2, downwardly as appears from Figs. 3, 4, and 5, from its position as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 toits position as illustrated in Fig. 5, the material of the shell- I ii is subjected to mechanical pressure exerted by contact of the shoulder l2a of the plunger l2 at the open end of the shell I0, simultaneously with pressure imparted by the face of the plunger to and upon the pressure medium I5, and effective upon the material of the shell. Such conjoint mechanical pressure and internal fluid pressure causes fiow of the material of the shell in sliding contact with the face of the lateral aperture Ila. of the die toward the region of the juncture of the lateral aperture Ila with the branch apertures Ilb, Ho and into the respective branch apertures Ilb, IIc until the material of the shell has been caused to .fiow from-its initial position indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 to its subsequent or final position, indicatedin Fig. 5, and thereby produce the general T configuration, as indicated.

The employment of the apertured hollow rigid element I4 is of advantage during the stage of fiow of the material of the shell adjacent the juncture of the lateral aperture Ila with the branch apertures I lb, I I0 of the die, by reason of the apertured hollow rigid element I4 having its outer periphery closely approximating the inner periphery of the shell and extending from locations remote from the juncture of the die branch apertures to and within the juncture, thus positively preventing deformation of the material of the shell at all stages of the operation.

Pursuant to the procedure illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the apertured hollow rigid mandrel I4 has a relatively greater area of contact with the inner walls of the shell I0, and correspondingly longer longitudinal passage Ida, which communicates with the transverse outlets Mb, l lo. The plunger I2 has a correspondingly greater hollow interior I20 at its effective face communicating with the interior of the shell, the mechanicallyexerting portion l2d of the plunger simulating the formation of a shell.

As appears from Fig. 8, the hollow rigid mandrel I l, when initially placed within the shell Il), may extend. beyond the confines of the shell ID, that is to say, as viewed in Fig. 8, above the plane of engagement of the shoulder l2a with the upper open end of the shell I0.

As appears from Fig. 8, the height of the lateral die aperture Ila may be greater than the length of the shell I0, thus affording engagement of the shoulder l2a of the plunger within the confines of the lateral die aperture.

The product derived by the above 'or equivalent procedure, in the instance of a T fitting, has the general T configuration l8 indicated in Fig. 6, namely having an open end at Illa, corresponding to the open end IOa of the shell I0, see Fig. 2, and closed at the respective ends I8b, I-8c; in Fig. 6, the end terminal portions Iilb' and I80 are indicated as severed, as by means of a suitable saw.

It will be observed that the convex configuration of the respective stops l6, I6 gives rise to a concave formation at the central portion of the terminal portions I8b', I, which, predicated upon practical experience, insures full attainment of the desired configuration at the terminal portions, imparts rigidity thereat, effective during the severing operation, and other advantages.

The resulting general T product, having three open ends, may then be completed to commercial finish as may be desired. Usually, each end is provided with an abutment serving as a stop, indicated at id, for gauging the telescopic insertion of the end of a pipe or the like. The production of such stop I80 is advantageously carried out simultaneously with belling the ends of the T, as by means of a suitable expanding tool indicated at I9, in cooperation with a suitable two-part holding die 20. It is understood that, whereas Fig. '7 indicates but one end, i. e., I8b.

. expanded, either or both of the remaining ends Illa, I80 may be similarly treated.

The resulting T, see 2i, Fig. 1, illustrating a T fitting of conventional internal and external configurations, is adapted for connection with the end of a pipe or other fitting or the like, either by sweat-jointing, pursuant to conventional practice, or by threading, in which latter instance the wall thickness of each end is sufiicient to bear the necessary threading.

It is a characteristic of the present invention that my method, pursuant to any of the proce- From the above variant forms of my methodv and the instrumentalities of the character above settorth, including suitable die means" having branched apertures contoured to impart the desired configuration of the eventual fitting and including also a shouldered plunger, a T or other lateral-provided fitting is fabricated from a shell or equivalent of material of the nature of copper, as above defined, in the absence of supplied heat, that is to say, by sole cold working of the-material effected by pressure mechanically applied to the material of such shell conjointly with pressure applied interiorly of the material of such shell through the lntermediation of a suitable pressure-exerting medium, the resulting cold-flow oi the material being guided by the aperture faces of such die means, defamation of the materialof such shell being at all times precluded by the provision of an apertured hollow element and/or suitable elongation of the nose of such shouldered plunger.

More particularly, my present invention contemplates disposing such shell to positionits 1 closedend in abutting relation with a face of the die within, the region of a juncture apertures of the die.

Whereas the shell it see Fig. 2, is shown hav ing a hemispherical configuration, it is apparent that a fiat or substantially flat'condguration oi its closed end is applicable in carrying out in invention.

When it is desired to impart pressure to the pressure-exerting medium independently or concomitantly with the pressure engendered by contact oi the effective facesof theplunger directly with the pressure-exerting medium, the plunger is suitably bored and suitable piping connected with the inlet of such bore, leading to a suitable source oi' pressure-applied medium, preferably controllable in degree of pressure, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

,As appears from Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the bore ll of the plunger I! may be closed by means of a suitable closure plug Ila, which may be inserted and sealingl'y locked by mating screw-threading.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to' specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

of branch I claim:

1. The methodof forming a hollow branch fitting, which includes placing a shell blank having an open end and a closed end in close contacting relationship with the walls of a recess in a die,

the die having at least one other recess intersecting with said first-mentioned recess, abutting the closed end of said shell blank against a wall of said intersecting recess, inserting within said shell blank a closed-ended hollow rigid mandrel having an external configuration matching the internal conflguration of the shell blank, the 4 closed end of said mandrel engaging the plosed end of the shell blank, said mandrel having a centrally arranged passage communicating with 'the open end of said shell and having side outlets communicatingwith said centrally arranged passage adjacent the closed end of said mandrel, said mandrel having its wall surface in contact with the wall of the shell blank over an area including and extending beyond the area of intersection of said die recesses, filling said shell blank and said mandrel passages with liquid, and subjecting the shell blank to mechanical pressure exerted at the open end of said shell blank and in a direction axially thereof to cause mechanical movement of the material 01' the shell blank toward the juncture of said branches and laterally therefrom into said intersecting branch, while concomitantly exerting an internal fluid pressure to hear initially concentratedly against the wall of said shell blank at the location of the side outlets in said mandrel.

2. Apparatus for the manufacture of hollow lateral branch fittings, comprising, in combination, a female die means having an internal longitudinal branch and an internal lateral branch intersecting therewith, one of said branches having an opening for receiving a closed-ended tubular shell blank for positioning within said branch with its closed end in abutment with a wall of said intersecting branch, and a hollow mandrel having an open end and a closed end, said mandrel having a side outlet disposed adjacent the closed end thereof; said mandrel having an outside diameter permitting the snugly slidable insertion thereof into the shell blank with its closed end in engagement with the closed end of the shell blank, and a length extending sub- .stantially above the intersection of the branches of the die, and the said branch of the die having a diameter permitting the snugly slidable insertion of the shell blank therein, with the outside wall of the shell blank in contact with the wall of said die branch.

EDWARD S. CORNELL, JR. 

